Scientists from the Institute of genome A * STAR in Singapore and oncology at the National Cancer Center in Singapore found that lung cancer patients of Asian greater genetic diversity than expected. Moreover, this type of tumor tends to develop resistance. With the opening of scientists and oncologists develop sophisticated approaches to non small cell lung cancer. The study is published in the international edition of Nature Communications.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death among cancers. It accounts for 19% of deaths from cancer in the world, and the mortality rate is quite high. That the number of cancer cases is expected to grow with an increase in pollution, particularly in densely populated Asian cities. Thus, the new individual treatment strategies are crucial to address the growing threat of the disease and improve the quality of life for patients.

Lung cancer in Asian patients is characterized by mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR3. Genes suppressor control and regulate the cell cycle. It was found that mutations of these genes are found in 50% of tumors in lung cancer patients in Singapore. However, the drugs act for a short time. In most patients within a few months or years, there are relapses. In some cases, patients do not respond to drugs.

"This joint research is one of the first attempts to characterize and identify lung cancer patients in Singapore on a large scale. New genetic information has allowed us to carry out a detailed analysis, which led to the conclusion that lung tumors in Asian patients is more complex than previously estimated, "- said Dr. Rahul Nahar, the first author of the study.

"The study of tumors of the genetic diversity in Asian patients gave a new idea why, after initial response to EGFR inhibitors may develop resistance. We found that tumors with a large number of mutations less responsive to drugs "- explains Dr. Axel Hillmer, co-author of the study.

"Understanding the genetic landscape of the tumor allows to go beyond the single gene mutation (such as EGFR), in order to better understand the behavior of the individual tumors and to develop more effective treatments. Further work will be devoted to the identification of combinations of drugs or treatment strategies that take into account the ability of tumors to adapt to different therapies, "- says Dr. Daniel Tan, senior consultant oncologist.

According to Prof. Ng Huck Hui, timely and comprehensive study of the disease is crucial, especially for diseases with high mortality.